Avoid transmission of COVID-19 in your department by allowing non-essential employees to work from home while still securely handling FOIA requests (be sure to confer with your organization’s work from home policy).
If your agency is considering implementing a work-from-home policy during the COVID-19 social-distancing period, here are some things you can do to get your employees set up for success:
- To continue “face-to-face” and real-time communications, you can utilize one of the many video conferencing and instant messaging tools available. GovQA uses GoToMeeting and Slack. Here are some you can download today:
- GoToMeeting: https://support.goto.com/meeting/help/download-now-g2m010002
- Slack: https://slack.com/solutions/remote-work
- Google Hangouts: https://gsuite.google.com/products/meet/
- Zoom: https://zoom.us/download
- Microsoft Teams (free 6-month trial available for governments working from home due to COVID-19): https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/MicrosoftTeams/g1-trial-license
- Make sure your employees have a contact list with emails and cell phone numbers for everyone on your team.
- Make sure your employees have all the usernames and passwords they will need from home. GovQA recommends this password keeper tool for best security (instead of writing passwords down):
- Lastpass: https://lastpass.com/create-account.php
- Don’t forget to bring your laptop powercords home with you!
- Records custodians using GovQA’s platform can continue securely handling public records requests on their laptop or pc at home as long as they have internet access.
- Consider reviewing the GovQA training materials available on how to post Trending Topics and FAQs to your public portal. These GovQA software functions are a great way to proactively serve health and safety information to the public; deflect potentially voluminous FOIA requests related to COVID-19; and allow the public to automatically “follow” updates you post. Learn more here.
You can view training materials for these here:
Look for the FAQs help video.
Look for the “Demo in 10” webinar recordings, and click through to the “Trending Topics” segment.
If you would like assistance or training in setting up FAQ or Trending Topic pages on your portal, please contact GovQA Customer Success success@govqa.com.
Contact your GovQA rep today to learn more about how we can help your agency manage to these community health announcements and keep your employees and customers healthy.
Contact your GovQA rep today to learn more about how we can help your agency manage to these community health announcements and keep your employees and customers healthy.
